The Organizing Hack That'll Help You Keep Track Of Your Paint

If you've done a lot of redecorating with paint in your home, keeping track of the leftovers can get overwhelming. A bunch of paint cans stacked on some storage shelves doesn't make each color very distinguishable. Therefore, if you need to access a specific shade again for some touch-ups, you might have to pull down and open each one before you find the shade you're looking for. To make this process a lot easier, try this simple hack involving stir sticks.

When you purchase paint, the store will provide as many stir sticks as you want. Stir sticks are needed to mix your paint before applying it, but they're also used throughout a painting project for things like scraping the excess paint out of your roller or keeping your paint can lids from sticking to your flooring or tarp. They're also useful for identifying paint colors, so make sure you get one for every different color you buy. These stir sticks can then be used to create an easy visual categorization system, making finding the can you want when you need to touch-up paint easier than ever. 

After you've chosen a paint color for your home and the salesperson has printed a label of your mix, ask them to print out a second one. They'll put the first label on the top of your paint can, and you can put the second one on the handle of a stir stick. Then, after you've applied your paint to your wall and are ready to store the can, write the room or space the paint was used in on the stir stick label and apply some of your paint color on the other end. Once it dries, you'll have an easy visual reminder of the color and room where that paint was used.

Now that you have this visual identification, hang or affix the sticks on or near the shelving where your old paint cans are stored. Whatever works for you is best, but some options are to drill a hole in one end of the stir stick and then hang it on some nails or a nearby pegboard. You could also fasten the stick to the corresponding shelf its can is on. If you keep your paint in storage containers, a good idea would be to attach the corresponding paint stir sticks to the tops or fronts of those bins. Whatever option you choose, you've created a quick and easy reference to help you find a paint can exactly when you need it.